


The Mysterious Ways of Cats

by ancalime8301



Series: Spencer Stories [36]
Category: Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Cats, Community: watsons_woes, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-18
Updated: 2014-07-18
Packaged: 2018-02-09 08:29:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1976055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ancalime8301/pseuds/ancalime8301
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Holmes and Watson ponder feline behavior.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Mysterious Ways of Cats

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [watsons_woes](http://watsons-woes.livejournal.com/) JWP day 17 prompt: _Truth is stranger than: Use[one of these articles](http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/news/?q=victorian+strangeness) as your inspiration for today's work._  
>  I chose [The cyclist chased by a lion](http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-28056499).  
> Also refers to the canon story, [The Priory School](http://www.ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/prio.htm).

I was reading one of my yellow-backed books that Holmes so enjoys deriding, in this case a collection of "strange and wonderful" tales from the African continent. I was nearly halfway through and found many of the stories strange, but not too many wonderful, until I reached the account of the cyclist chased by the lion. That story I found delightful, and somehow it immediately brought to mind a case from year before.

"Holmes, look at this," I said, rising from my chair and showing him the story. "Last year they used horse shoes made to look like cow hooves; it would seem in Malawi they could pretend to be lions instead."

Holmes' eyes skimmed over the story, then he threw back his head and laughed heartily. "Watson, your imagination is delightful."

"Do you think it's true? That a lion chased the poor fellow?"

"It seems unlikely, but possible, under certain circumstances. But I have not, in all honesty, ever had the occasion to see a lion in person."

"Neither have I," I said, taking my book back from him. "Tigers, on the other hand, I have seen in the wild, and I do believe they would be capable of giving chase to a man on a bicycle."

"Then would not a lion do so as well? They are both large felines, after all."

"Yes, that is true. But I confess I am surprised the lion did not catch him. It seems he had ample opportunity to do so."

"Perhaps the lion simply wanted to see how quickly a man on a bicycle could go uphill," Holmes said, smirking.

It was my turn to laugh. "If that is the case, then felines have an appalling sense of humor."

"You should already know that they do. How many times has Spencer tried to trip you on the stairs?"

We both looked at the orange cat quietly curled up before the fire. One of his eyes flicked open and regarded us, then drifted closed as if we weren't worth watching.

I had to concede it was a fair point. "I shall never understand cats," I said ruefully.


End file.
